IntelliShop fee shop in past now no fee report
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This as a classic example of the Arab/camel business model.
Recently, they have been starting most of their projects at lower pay than in the past. However, they will add a fee and increase the fee as necessary to get the shop done.
For example, they started the insect related wireless company compliance reviews quite a bit lower than in the past. However, they are all at 25 to 45 dollars now. If they were able to get a bunch of them done for the low starting pay, then more power to them. If people are willing to work for less than minimum wage, then they have every right to take advantage of that.
If somebody in your area takes it for no pay and wants to work for a sandwich, then they made a great business decision. They are in business to make money, and if someone's willing to work for free, then they have every right to contract with that person.
However, if nobody in your area is willing to work for a sandwich, they will begin to add some pay. If it's something that you're interested in, keep an eye on it. I've seen those shops get as high as $30 when they get close to the deadline.
They are testing exactly how low they can go and still get acceptable quality work done. All companies will continue to test the lower limits of what shoppers are willing to accept for compensation. If those shops get done, then it just means that people are desperate, bored, or financially illiterate.
For example, they started the insect related wireless company compliance reviews quite a bit lower than in the past. However, they are all at 25 to 45 dollars now. If they were able to get a bunch of them done for the low starting pay, then more power to them. If people are willing to work for less than minimum wage, then they have every right to take advantage of that.
If somebody in your area takes it for no pay and wants to work for a sandwich, then they made a great business decision. They are in business to make money, and if someone's willing to work for free, then they have every right to contract with that person.
However, if nobody in your area is willing to work for a sandwich, they will begin to add some pay. If it's something that you're interested in, keep an eye on it. I've seen those shops get as high as $30 when they get close to the deadline.
They are testing exactly how low they can go and still get acceptable quality work done. All companies will continue to test the lower limits of what shoppers are willing to accept for compensation. If those shops get done, then it just means that people are desperate, bored, or financially illiterate.
I self-assigned my nearby locations and didn't notice the new (lack of) fee until later. Assumed it was $5 like always. I guess I'll do this round at $0 since I already assigned, but will probably wait in the future.
@shopperbob wrote:
This as a classic example of the Arab/camel business model.
And after Bob confirmed to me what it meant, what I kind of thought it meant, I tend to agree.
I do very little food, but if I would do the report for 5.00, I would do it for free if I wanted the food. The food is the only reason I do food.
I personally would not do it. I personally only accept assignments that give me a profit, and that includes factoring in transportation costs.
@Katwoman777 wrote:
I personally would not do it. I personally only accept assignments that give me a profit, and that includes factoring in transportation costs.
All depends on what you consider the value of the food. I do TRH for no fee.
I do Jersey Mike's without a fee if I am very close and need a meal.
Shopping South Jersey, Southeast Pennsylvania, and Delaware above the canal since 2008
@87Supra wrote:
.
All depends on what you consider the value of the food. I do TRH for no fee.[/quote]
I used to do the TRH shops with no fee..
Hi,
Regarding the insect compliance reviews--I've just taken two of these. How long does it take to complete one review? It says to allow up to 2 hours (but should be a lot less). What?
They want it done as you're doing the shop or you can print out the questionnaire. The link to a you tube video is broken. Where is the questionnaire?
I get really frustrated with MSC not giving a full disclosure of what their shops require and involve. The pay they offer is totally tied to the time it takes to complete a shop.
Regarding the insect compliance reviews--I've just taken two of these. How long does it take to complete one review? It says to allow up to 2 hours (but should be a lot less). What?
They want it done as you're doing the shop or you can print out the questionnaire. The link to a you tube video is broken. Where is the questionnaire?
I get really frustrated with MSC not giving a full disclosure of what their shops require and involve. The pay they offer is totally tied to the time it takes to complete a shop.
The jobs are easy, it depends if the employee gets sidetracked or is not too bright. An experienced employee can have you out in 20 minutes. If they are the only employee and a customer comes in, it can drag.
This is a big 'luck of the draw' job. It is important to prep them during the phone call and emphasize it is an 'open book test'.
This is a big 'luck of the draw' job. It is important to prep them during the phone call and emphasize it is an 'open book test'.
The “no pay” will continue as long as people are willing to work for free and pay to work.
We’re running a business, even if it’s a side-hustle. The marketing company is all about selling you the job for as little as possible and making it feel like you’re getting a good deal.
Do the basic math in advance:
In every assignment, we are covering the costs involved in doing the job, plus our time. In assignments requiring a purchase (without an advance to cover it) we’re also paying that cost, pending report acceptance, and the time the company takes the company to approve our report (if they do) and pay us back for that purchase, plus our fee.
If there’s no fee, that’s the equivalent of an interest-free loan that may not get paid back.
Some companies can take 30-60 days to pay. Some companies are notorious for not paying at all, as noted in many other threads.
If the fees to do the work don’t cover the costs of what’s required to do the work ($ for our required purchases, transportation, vehicle registration, maintenance, insurance costs, devices and required subscriptions, income taxes, etc.), we’re paying to work.
IRS mileage rate in the US is 72.5 cents each mile travelled to do a job as an independent contractor.
How many jobs do you need to do, to cover your overhead and make a profit? How much profit do you need to make to be earning minimum wage?
If there is no fee, you’re paying to work. If there’s a required purchase (even if there’s reimbursement promised), you’re paying up front to work, and if they don’t accept your report, you’re out of pocket for it all, plus your overhead and the time all that took you could have been earning money doing something else, or enriching yourself.
Example 1-
If you rely on public transit to get back and forth to the sandwich shop, and it’s $5 round trip, you’re out if pocket for the fare plus the (promised) $15 reimbursement (so almost $20) if the sandwich plus sales tax is less than the reimbursement, plus the cost of a beverage.
Example 2-
If you drive, how much do you need to make to cover your overhead plus the hourly rate you could be making doing something else with the time you’re spending to get there and back, cover the sales tax and beverage costs not included in the reimbursement amount, do what’s required to complete the report, and submit the report?
That free sandwich isn’t really free.
We’re running a business, even if it’s a side-hustle. The marketing company is all about selling you the job for as little as possible and making it feel like you’re getting a good deal.
Do the basic math in advance:
In every assignment, we are covering the costs involved in doing the job, plus our time. In assignments requiring a purchase (without an advance to cover it) we’re also paying that cost, pending report acceptance, and the time the company takes the company to approve our report (if they do) and pay us back for that purchase, plus our fee.
If there’s no fee, that’s the equivalent of an interest-free loan that may not get paid back.
Some companies can take 30-60 days to pay. Some companies are notorious for not paying at all, as noted in many other threads.
If the fees to do the work don’t cover the costs of what’s required to do the work ($ for our required purchases, transportation, vehicle registration, maintenance, insurance costs, devices and required subscriptions, income taxes, etc.), we’re paying to work.
IRS mileage rate in the US is 72.5 cents each mile travelled to do a job as an independent contractor.
How many jobs do you need to do, to cover your overhead and make a profit? How much profit do you need to make to be earning minimum wage?
If there is no fee, you’re paying to work. If there’s a required purchase (even if there’s reimbursement promised), you’re paying up front to work, and if they don’t accept your report, you’re out of pocket for it all, plus your overhead and the time all that took you could have been earning money doing something else, or enriching yourself.
Example 1-
If you rely on public transit to get back and forth to the sandwich shop, and it’s $5 round trip, you’re out if pocket for the fare plus the (promised) $15 reimbursement (so almost $20) if the sandwich plus sales tax is less than the reimbursement, plus the cost of a beverage.
Example 2-
If you drive, how much do you need to make to cover your overhead plus the hourly rate you could be making doing something else with the time you’re spending to get there and back, cover the sales tax and beverage costs not included in the reimbursement amount, do what’s required to complete the report, and submit the report?
That free sandwich isn’t really free.
About job disclosures in advance:
There are schedulers who try to disguise jobs in ambiguity to sell them that will cost you more than the job pays in $$, credit dings, or other costly risks.
There are threads about that here and elsewhere.
I won’t even consider them and have chosen not to engage with those companies and personnel. If we condone that kind of deception and “no-fees,” it will only escalate the pattern.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2026 08:56PM by SBP.
There are schedulers who try to disguise jobs in ambiguity to sell them that will cost you more than the job pays in $$, credit dings, or other costly risks.
There are threads about that here and elsewhere.
I won’t even consider them and have chosen not to engage with those companies and personnel. If we condone that kind of deception and “no-fees,” it will only escalate the pattern.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2026 08:56PM by SBP.
Thanks for this information. I decided not to do them. They were priced at $25 and my drive round trip would be 1 and 1/2 hours. Two shops involved, but I could make more on closer shops paying $30 that take about 20 minutes. After you get the guidelines and read what is involved with many shops, it's a whole different ballgame. I always figure more time that the scheduler or guidelines say it will take.
@shopperbob wrote:
This as a classic example of the Arab/camel business model.
I of course understand the context of this favorite ShopperBobism, but I tried Googling it and got nothing beyond some prospective camel ride tours in the UAE. (Which may well be shopped!)
@shopperbob can you tell me a bit more about what it means?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/2026 08:22PM by NinS.
Nin, as you requested.
The concept is based upon a mid-Eastern parable. It seems an Arabian chap was loading his camel and upon finishing, he noticed a few straws on the ground. He immediately retrieved them and pitched the lot upon the camel; it collapsed. That gave birth to the adage of "the straw that broke the camel's back." From a shopping standpoint, the action is referenced to mean the lowering of fees until there are no longer any takers.
I personally avoid jobs that require completion on the second Tues. of the week, mounted atop a single hump dromedarian camel and employing Tahitian sign language. As another old adage goes, though, "To each his/her own."
The concept is based upon a mid-Eastern parable. It seems an Arabian chap was loading his camel and upon finishing, he noticed a few straws on the ground. He immediately retrieved them and pitched the lot upon the camel; it collapsed. That gave birth to the adage of "the straw that broke the camel's back." From a shopping standpoint, the action is referenced to mean the lowering of fees until there are no longer any takers.
I personally avoid jobs that require completion on the second Tues. of the week, mounted atop a single hump dromedarian camel and employing Tahitian sign language. As another old adage goes, though, "To each his/her own."
@SBP wrote:
The “no pay” will continue as long as people are willing to work for free and pay to work.
We’re running a business, even if it’s a side-hustle. The marketing company is all about selling you the job for as little as possible and making it feel like you’re getting a good deal.
Do the basic math in advance:
In every assignment, we are covering the costs involved in doing the job, plus our time. In assignments requiring a purchase (without an advance to cover it) we’re also paying that cost, pending report acceptance, and the time the company takes the company to approve our report (if they do) and pay us back for that purchase, plus our fee.
If there’s no fee, that’s the equivalent of an interest-free loan that may not get paid back.
IRS mileage rate in the US is 72.5 cents each mile travelled to do a job as an independent contractor.
How many jobs do you need to do, to cover your overhead and make a profit? How much profit do you need to make to be earning minimum wage?
If there is no fee, you’re paying to work.
Example 2-
If you drive, how much do you need to make to cover your overhead plus the hourly rate you could be making doing something else with the time you’re spending to get there and back, cover the sales tax and beverage costs not included in the reimbursement amount, do what’s required to complete the report, and submit the report?
That free sandwich isn’t really free.
I agree 100%. TBH, I feel that this entire industry needs a big slap by the Dep of Labor, but none of us are employees so its the wild west.. Most people can't or don't think of doing the simple math and thinking of which you have outlined. It's one of the reasons why we have federal minimum wage laws and why many states have their own as well. There is no bottom floor for wages unless the government steps in.
For those that eventually figure out that driving 10-15 miles and doing 2 hours of (pre job) reading and (post job) reports for $12 isn't getting you anywhere, there's always "Fresh meat" to come in and take your place until they learn the same thing.
I will pivot back to one of your main points, which is asking people to think beyond surface level.
Example A:
Shopper agrees to $14 meal (reimbursed) with $5 pay. How much did that cost the restaurant, though? Most likely it was $3.50. So we need to look at it like we are working for $5 + $3.50 of food compensation.
I can promise you that when contracts get drawn up between a business and MSC, the numbers are based on their actual cost. Not the full retail price.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2026 07:49PM by jdyeah.
I agree with all of the points JDYEAH posted except any involvement of a government dept. As shoppers are ICs, I neither think they would have any jurisdiction nor would I desire their intervention.
That is why I only do food that I would buy out of pocket. Don't care what the restaurants cost is. The value of the food is what I would be willing to pay for it.
Now if the report fee was high enough, I would probably venture to other places I normally would not go, to try it. That said, high report fees tend to equal small books and I have been retired from my essay career for awhile.
Now if the report fee was high enough, I would probably venture to other places I normally would not go, to try it. That said, high report fees tend to equal small books and I have been retired from my essay career for awhile.
@shopperbob wrote:
I agree with all of the points JDYEAH posted except any involvement of a government dept. As shoppers are ICs, I neither think they would have any jurisdiction nor would I desire their intervention.
That is correct, we are IC's not employees and I should have put that in my post.
I disagree on the intervention, though. There is no bottom floor on earnings unless the government steps in.
Someone out there will work for free or peanuts, which is why we have those minimum wages to begin with. For that reason we can't lean on the logic of "if it doesn't pay enough, don't do it".
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2026 08:10PM by jdyeah.
If we step back and look at the broader picture, you know this industry is pretty sad when shoppers spitball things like "a a minimum wage or fair compensation would be nice". 
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2026 08:20PM by jdyeah.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2026 08:20PM by jdyeah.
Nobody is making anybody do anything they don't want to. Last I checked, I signed up for every job I do. It is my choice. I will do a certain job on a certain day for a certain fee if it works for me that day. It might not work for that fee another day, so I don't do it.
Having the government involved, especially now, would not be in my best interest.
Having the government involved, especially now, would not be in my best interest.
I just took two jobs for them also. And I was wondering the same thing about the questionnairè, where is it?? I emailed them but haven't heard back.
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